Sign



c:v A. CHAPEL SIGN Filed April 12 1,924

' PatentedFeb, 17, 1925.

,JMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES a. oHArEL, or EL RENO, OKLAHOMA.

SIGN.

Application filed April 12, 1924. Serial No. 706,064.

' all whom itmay concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES A.CHAPEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Reno, in the county of Canadian and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Sign, of which the following is a specification.

The'present invention relates to vehicle signals and more particularly'to that type of signals which maybe imbedded in a highway.

An object of this invention is to provide I a signal 'devicewhich upon erection in a v is roadway may 'be, collided withor run over by a passing vehicle without damage thereto or impairing its usefulness. i

Another object of, this invention is to pro '1 [vide a signal which may be permanently fixedin a roadway so as to warn-operators A further object of. this invention is to' of dangerous crossings, prohibited zones or the l1ke.

' provide a signal which ma .be relativel cheaply constructed, having ew parts whic 7 upon. destruction may be easily replaced at .1 small cost; 1

A'still further object of this invention is: .to' provide a signal device which when knocked over or flattened out by colliding with it'- will automatically. right itself into correct signalling position as soon as the pressure or obstruction is removed.

Fig. 1 is .a side elevation of a signal dc;

- viceconstructed according to the present invention whichis imbedded in a roadway, the. portion of the device imbedded in the roadway being shownin section.-

Fig 2 is a'view similar to Fig. 1 showing the reverseside of the signal plate.

Fig. 3'is anedge View ot the signal showingi the tensiondev'ice for. maintaining the signal plate. in substantially upnght position, the portion of the. device-embedded in the roadway being shown in section.

' Fig. is. a transverse section of Fig. 1, and, fFi 5 is,a. fragmentary section of a: inodified arm of the'inventionp looking downwardly taken substantially on line Referring -to the drawing, and first to the form shown in Figs. 1 to l-inclusive, 1O designates a road, street or other surface over which Vehicles are adapted to travel. A casing 11 comprises the base of the sign or signal and is adapted to be imbedded in the roadway 10'as shown in the drawing. "The caslng 11 has an outwardly extending flange 12 at its lower endfproviding an anchor to prevent the casing 11- from' displacement from or working loose inthe roadway 10.-

The casing 11 is open at its'upper end, and seated on the upper edgeof the casing across said upper end is a disc or plate 13 ofrelabody portion of the sign 'or signal. Said disc or plate 13 may have suitable legends or indicia on opposite sides for various pi1r:'

poses, sucha's to warn approaching vehicles of a. dangerous crossing, a prohibited zone and the like. The lower edge of the plate 13 fits into-the upper side of a supporting head 1 1 which is preferably of spherical form and which is seated in the upper end of the casing 11 to maintain the plate 13 from shifting laterally from the top ofthe base or tube 11. 1 i

The spherical head 14 permits the rocking of the plate 13 on the upperedge of the tube 11 and holds the. edge of the plate .tively large diameter-or width forming 'the from slipping from the tube, and insures.

the centering of the plate over the-tube when the plate'is swung into upright position.

Tension means is provided forIno'rmally urging the plate or disc 13 into upright posit-ion on the base 11. In the present instance this operatlon is effected 'by' helical.

springlfi housed in the tube or base 11, and

anchored at-one endto the tube and at 1 its other. end to. the spherical head for'normally drawing the lower side thereof into lowermost position and-thus support the plate 13- on 1ts edge. The lower end of the spring 18 is anchored tothe casing or base 11 by a crossbar 19 riveted or. otherwise suitably secured in transverse relation to the lower end portion of theytube 11, and

aboutv which is looped the lower. extremity.

of the spring 1.8. The upper end. of the spring'18 isprovided with a hookwhich is engaged throu h the lower end of a link 15, the upper en of'which is slidably re- .ceived 'ina slot -16 formed in the spherical head 14 at its lower side and in a plane at right angles toithat 'of the. plate 13. A,

cross pin or bolt 17 is secured in the head 1& and intersects the slot 16 andpivotally engages the upper end of the link 15 to er-.

mit the latter to swing free in the slot w en the plate 13 is tilted. The opposite'ends of the bolt 17 may be countersunk in the sides of the-spherical head 14 so as to prevent outstanding projections or shoulders which would tend to unseat the head 14; or prevent it from turning freely in the-upper end of the tube.

The casing 11 is preferably imbedded in concrete in a vertical position, the upper end of the casing being near or flush with the upper surface of the roadway. The spring *18 noror other obstruction pass over or release the plate 13,- the spring 18 draws the plate 13 back into its normal upright position, so that the sign will always be left in its correct indicating position. The balli16 fits snugly in the upper end of the casing 11 andprotects the device in the casing 11 from contact with water, mud, sand. and the like, which would otherwise injure or rust out.

the parts and impair the -free operation of the same. a 1

In the modified .form'of thisiny'e'ntion shown; in Fig. 5, 2O designates a plate or v disc whichis connected to the upper end of the casing 11 and substantially closes the opening in the same. The plate 20 has an upwardly flaring opening 21 through its center for seating'a ball or rocker member 22. The

ball 22 is secured to the lower edge of the plate 13- and in its lower surface has a slot 16 for hingedly receiving the link 15.

The modifiedfform illustrated is par ticularly advantageous where the roadbed "is not constructed of asolid substance such as concrete. ,The plate 20 on the upper end of the casing 11 serves as a protecting mem ber, not only keeping out dirt or other sub.- stances which might clog the mechanism, but also strengthening the device so that it will be able to withstand the shocks of vehicles 7 riding continuously thereover.

.It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may be made in i the details of construction and. configurations of'the above specifically described embodiment of-the invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted'only by the scope of the following claims. i

What is claimed. is: i

1. In a vehicle signal device a casing adapted to be embedded vertically in aroadway and having an open'upper end, a movable plate having signal legends on its face, I

normally arranged in vertical cdgewise relation across the upper end of the casing, an

enlarged spherical head rigid with the lower portion of said plate and fitting partially within the upper end of saidcasing and closing the upper end of the casing and the lower portion of the head within thecasi'ng being provided witha slot extending at right angles to the plane of the plate, a

linkpivotally mounted in theslot and extending beneath the head, and a spring positioned vertically within said casing and having its lower end anchored in the .casing and its upper end loosely connected 'w'ith the lower end portion of said link, said spring serving to retain. the head. seated in" the upper end of the casing inclosing rela tion thereto and normally maintain said plate in a vertical position. Y

2. In a vehicle signal device, a casing adapted to be embedded vertically in a roadway and having an open upper end, a plate having signal legends upon its faces, nor

mally arranged in vertical edgewise relation across the upper end of said casing, 'a'

spherical head rigid with the lower portion of said plateand fittin partially within the open upper end of sai casing, and. closing the casing, a link pivotally connected with the lower portion-of the head within the-casing and having'swinging.movement at right angles to the plane of said plate and held against turning relative to the head, and a coiled spring positioned vertically within the casing and having its lower end. anchored and its upper end terminating in an extension passing through an eye in the lowerportionv of said link whereby said spring may serve to retain the head seated in the uppei: end of the casing and yieldably prevent tilting of the plate and rotation of the head.

CHAR ES A. CHAPEL. 

